John Broadwood
- Name : Broadwood
- Born : 1732
- Died : 1812
- Category : Inventors
- Finest Moment : Getting the keys to the firm
History of Scotland
Our ongoing history of Scotland that chronicles the events in Scotland over the past million years with a special focus on the last thousand as you might expect. We have also digitised a copy of Patrick Tytler's History of Scotland which is an eccentric but wonderfully written history of the the mediaeval years in Scotland. The project of chronicling Scotland's history is ongoing, as is the process of organising and structuring and linking the pages together.
John Brown
John Brown / Famous Historical Figures
- Name : Brown
- Born : 1826
- Died : 1883
- Category : Famous Historical Figures
- Finest Moment : Some 18 years' worth of irritating the court.
Born in 1826 at Craithenaird, Balmoral, the son of a crofter. Brown worked as a ghillie at Balmoral, the royal family's estate, rebuilt by dear, dear, Albert, the Prince Consort, who died in 1861 from typhoid. Brown had become Albert's ghillie in 1849, guiding him for fishing and shooting. He also became Queen Victoria's servant, in particular looking after her pony and carriage; he prevented injuries to her in at least two carriage accidents (statistics then indicate an amazing carnage from accidents involving horses), and one possible assassination attempt.
Combining the offices of groom, footman, page and so on, Brown became more of a friend than a servant, and when, following Albert's death, he was brought to the Isle of Wight to be her constant companion, the usual petty jealousies which riddled court affairs were stoked high.
What seems certain is that in the unnatural and often unfriendly atmosphere through which royalty apparently have to move, a true friend such as Brown could be immensely supportive; this seems to be the case with Brown. Victoria could easily overlook his liking for whisky, and seemed privately amused at his often blunt Highland approach to social niceties. She was truly devastated when he died, after a short illness, on 29 March 1883.
In 1884, she dedicated More Leaves from a Journal of our Life in the Highlands to Brown, as 'Beloved Friend'. She had a statue to him erected at Balmoral (taken down after her death of course), and would have published a book on him, had she not been persuaded otherwise. She went to her grave with a photograph of her faithful companion on her wrist.
John Buchan
- Name : Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir
- Born : 1875
- Died : 1940
- Category : Writers
- Finest Moment : The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915)
John Comyn
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John Comyn / Famous Historical Figures
- Name : Comyn
- Born : ?
- Died : d.c.1303
- Category : Famous Historical Figures
- Finest Moment : Fighting with William Wallace
Following the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway in 1290, no less than 13 people claimed the throne of Scotland. They were known as The Competitors, and this, believe it truly, was no Eurovision Song Contest. One of them was John Comyn, the son of John 'the Red' of Badenoch and Tynedale. To distinguish him from his father, he was sometimes called 'the Black'.
Coming from an immensely strong family, on the death of Alexander III he was elected one of the six Guardians of the Realm. He married Eleanor, sister of John Balliol (another Competitor), and helped negotiate the French Treaty of 1295. After John's abdication, he was a prisoner on England. On being released to help suppress unrest in Moray, he promptly joined up with William Wallace. To confuse the spectrum of Scottish politics, his son John was also known as 'the Red' just like his grandfather.
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John Dalrymple
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John Dalrymple
- Name : Dalrymple
- Born : 1648
- Died : 1707
- Category : Other
- Finest Moment : Helped to negotiate the Union of the Crowns, 1706-7
Born in 1648, the son of James Dalrymple, Viscount Stair. The Dalrymples had held land in the west since the 14th century, but were relatively new to politics. The father was a skilful jurist and politician, but his conscience during the period of Charles I, the Commonwealth and the Restoration had made him enemies on all sides. In particular, John Graham of Claverhouse, 'Bloody Dundee' was a prime example, and with the support of the Privy Council and the Duke of York, Dundee drove Dalrymple into exile. Six years later he returned with William of Orange, and was restored as Privy Councillor and created Viscount Stair.
The son John was almost as good at law and politics, but was decidedly ambitious and unscrupulous. He was knighted when he was 19 and married Elizabeth Dundas the next year, and they had nine children. Dalrymple was of course hated by the Jacobites, and it was often touted in Edinburgh coffee-houses that were he to be seen abroad he would be shot immediately.
Men of his own class also detested him. 'He was the origin and principal instrument of all the misfortunes that befell either the King or the Kingdom of Scotland. He was false and cruel, covetous and imperious, altogether destitute of the sacred ties of honour, loyalty, justice and gratitude, and lastly a man of very great parts else he could never have perpetrated so much wickedness.' Whew! So wrote George Lockhart of Carnwath. It may have been an exaggeration, but, no doubt there was grim truth there.
Dalrymple was appointed by William to the posts of Lord Advocate (1689), and in 1691 joint Secretary of State with Melville. He was responsible for the taming of the Highland Jacobites, yet had insufficient soldiers capable of doing this by force. So he tried negotiations. After six months of this he lost patience and decided to make an example. In December Melville was relieved of his office and Dalrymple, the Master of Stair as his honorary title was, became the sole Secretary of State for Scotland. He recalled that these Highland chiefs had been friends of Dundee, the implacable enemy of the Dalrymples.
'..That's the only popish clan in the kingdom, and it will be popular to take a severe course with them' wrote Dalrymple that December, referring to the MacDonalds of Glencoe'. The fate of the Glencoe MacDonalds was sealed from then on, and on 6 February 1692 the massacre of Glencoe took place. (see separate article)
Dalrymple was held largely responsible for this decidedly terrible event, and was forced to resign as Secretary of State in 1695. He succeeded that year as Viscount of Stair. In 1702 he was made a Privy Councillor, being created Earl of Stair in 1703. As to the King's part in this affair, the Commissioners continued to toady, claiming that his orders had not authorised the slaughter. Even his additional instruction, written on 16 January 1692, 'that if the Glencoe men could be well separated from the rest it would be a proper vindication of the public justice to extirpate them', meant that, according to the Commission, 'they were only meant to be proceeded against in the way of public justice, and in no other way'. Same old whitewash in other words.
Dalrymple's last act was to support the Union of the Crowns. He was one of the Commissioners sent from Edinburgh to London, to negotiate the Treaty. The English and Scots delegates began the work on 16 April 1706, and for nine months Dalrymple worked hard at the negotiations. The Union was, naturally enough, resisted in Scotland. On 7 January 1707, after a long day during which Article 22 of the Treaty had been debated, Dalrymple went home late and died in his sleep. He was 58.
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John Duns Scotus
John Duns Scotus / Philosophers and Historians
- Name : Scotus
- Born : c. 1265
- Died : 1308
- Category : Philosophers and Historians
- Finest Moment : The claim that universal concepts are based on a 'common nature' in individuals.
'A brilliant philosopher who caused the word dunce to enter the dictionary'
Also known as the Subtle Doctor (Doctor Subtilis), he was Scottish but of uncertain origin; he may have been born in or around Duns, in Berwickshire (there is a statue of him there). What is certain is that he had a brilliant mind, and was one of the most influential philosophers of the 14th century.
He was ordained as a priest in Northampton in 1291, and was at Oxford in 1300, alternating between there and Paris for some time. A short period of exile, from 1303-4 took place when he sided with the papal party in a dispute with the King, Philip the Fair. In 1305 he was created Doctor of Theology in Paris. Moving to Cologne as professor, he lectured there until his death on 8 November, 1308. He was buried in the Franciscan church.
Scotus was a transitional figure, seeing a difference between faith and reason for example, and between theology and philosophy. He was therefore somewhat dangerous on these grounds, and his departure for Cologne may have been a hasty one. He made the controversial claim that Mary need never have contracted original sin, which seemed to conflict with the doctrine of Christ's universal redemption. He made a brilliant defence of the Immaculate Conception, which was immediately challenged by secular and Dominican colleagues.
When the same question arose in a solemn disputation, the secular master Jean de Pouilly declared the Scotist thesis not only improbable, but even heretical. At a time when Philip the Fair had initiated heresy trials against the wealthy Knights Templars, these words may have sent a fiery breath down Scotus' neck.
Renaissance scorn of the dry academic arguments used by disciples of Scotus led to the coinage of the word 'Duns' or 'dunce', meaning a 'dull, obstinate person, impervious to the new learning'. Bit of a paradox really.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
John Graham
- Name : Graham of Claverhouse
- Born : 1648
- Died : 1689
- Category : Military
- Finest Moment : Winning at Killicrankie
John Hunter
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John Hunter / Medical Pioneers
- Name : Hunter
- Born : 1728
- Died : 1793
- Category : Medical Pioneers
- Finest Moment : Anatomical collection started, c.1761
The brother of William Hunter, the obstetrician, John Hunter was born on 13 February 1728 at Long Calderwood, near East Kilbride. When he was 20 he joined his brother on London, where he assisted in the preparation of dissections for William's courses in Anatomy. Over the course of a decade or more, he studied anatomy and surgery, the latter under Percival Pott. He became a house surgeon at St George's Hospital in 1756.
Experience as an army surgeon in the Seven Years' War from 1761-3 led him to write the first description of gunshot wounds, The Blood, Inflammation and Gunshot Wounds (published posthumously in 1794). At this time he also began his famous anatomical collection, which eventually grew to number over 13,000 specimens. Despite damage during World War II bombing, over 3,500 specimens remained intact, and can be viewed.
He is recognised as the father of comparative anatomy and was an enthusiastic communicator and teacher, founding the Lyceum Medicum Londinense and the Society for the Improvement of Medical Knowledge. He died in London, on 16 October 1793.
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John James Rickard
- Name : Hunter
- Born : 1728
- Died : 1793
- Category : Medical Pioneers
- Finest Moment : Anatomical collection started, c.1761
The brother of William Hunter, the obstetrician, John Hunter was born on 13 February 1728 at Long Calderwood, near East Kilbride. When he was 20 he joined his brother on London, where he assisted in the preparation of dissections for William's courses in Anatomy. Over the course of a decade or more, he studied anatomy and surgery, the latter under Percival Pott. He became a house surgeon at St George's Hospital in 1756.
Experience as an army surgeon in the Seven Years' War from 1761-3 led him to write the first description of gunshot wounds, The Blood, Inflammation and Gunshot Wounds (published posthumously in 1794). At this time he also began his famous anatomical collection, which eventually grew to number over 13,000 specimens. Despite damage during World War II bombing, over 3,500 specimens remained intact, and can be viewed.
He is recognised as the father of comparative anatomy and was an enthusiastic communicator and teacher, founding the Lyceum Medicum Londinense and the Society for the Improvement of Medical Knowledge. He died in London, on 16 October 1793.